Stringed instrument



(No Model.)

W. H. HOWE.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

No. 536,081. Patented Mar. 19, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

\VILLIAM H. HOIVE, OF XVATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,081, dated March19, 1895.

Application filed January 23, 1895. Serial No. 535.851. (N model.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. HOWE, ofWatertown,countyofMiddlesex,StateofMassachusetts, have invented anImprovement in Stringed Instruments, of which the following description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

Violin's, and other instruments of the ViOl family, invariably have to agreater or less extent certain troublesome notes, or tones, technicallycalled wolf-notes, the elfect of such notes upon the ear being adiscordant tremor; and the skill of the maker is always taxed to theutmost to eliminate them, but his efforts have been attended with nogreater success than to so change them that their presence is felt withless intensity. The defeet is more discernible in good instruments thanin bad ones, as inferior instruments are so little susceptible to truevibrations, that they are naturally less sensitive to the false ones.Numerous attempts have been made to ascertain the direct cause of thesewolfnotes, but as the most minute variation in the construction of theinstrument, necessitates radically different treatment to diminish thewolf, no direct cause or reason has ever been assigned, which isapplicable alike in all cases. There is a general vibration, caused bythe whole sound-board responding to the string-notes, but there is alsoa particular local sensitivenesss to certain notes, and it has been saidthat if any certain notes cause the local to exceed or contradict thegeneral Vibrations, a tremor or wolf is the instant result.

I have discovered that by graduating the top or back of the instrument,preferably both, in a certain novel way, the general vibration isenhanced, and the local sensitiveness to certain notes eliminated, andthe wolf is not present.

In carrying out my invention, I graduate the top or back of theinstrument in such a manner that the pressure over the entire surface isthe same, the distribution of the Wood being such as to bring about thisresult.

I-Ieretofore, the top of the instrument has been graduated in suchmanner that the graduations extend radially from an established center,that is, a central portion of a predetermined thickness, which islocated beneath the bridge, as for instance, the usual thickness underthe bridge, and for an area of say three and one-half inches, or more,toward the neck and tail, and one and one-half inches toward the sides,is one-eighth of an inch, or thereabout, gradually diminishing to halfthat thickness toward the edges, becoming there a little thicker thatthe edges may be strong.

To distribute the wood so that the pressure over the whole surface isthe same, owing to the peculiar yet artistic shape of the top and back,I find that the graduations must radiate at or near the center of theupper bouts orlobe, and the other at or near the center of the lowerbouts or lobe, and as the surface area of the lower bouts or lobe isslightly greater than the surface area of the upper bouts or lobe, theestablished center of the lower bouts or lobe, is made slightly thickerthan the established center of the upper bouts or lobe, and thegraduations extend radially from these centers toward the edges, andtoward each other in the same relative proportion, so that close to theedge the top or back will be the same thickness all round. It is thispeculiar mode of graduating the top or back of the instrument, whichconstitutes the essence of my invention.

Figure 1, shows in front elevation the back, and Fig. 2, the top of anordinary violin, the dotted lines representing the graduations; Fig. 3,a front elevation of the top of a violin, the dotted lines representinggraduations in accordance with this invention; Fig. 4, an enlargedvertical section of Fig. 3 on the line zit/+13- Referring to Fig. 1, asingle established cen ter of greatest thickness is represented by thedotted lines a, and from this center the wood gradually diminishes inthickness toward the edge, becoming a little thicker at the edge.Referring to Fig. 2, a single established center of greatest thicknessis represented by the dotted lines I), and from this center the woodgradually diminishes in thickness toward the edge, becoming a littlethicker at the edge. These two figures represent the ordinary mode ofgraduating respectively the back and top of the instrument, and it willbe noted that in each case, a single established center, or center ofpredetermined thickness, is provided beneath or opposite the bridge.

Referring to Fig. 3, the points a and d, represent two establishedcenters, that is to say, two centers of a predetermined or establishedthickness, one as 0, being located at or near the center of the upperbouts or lobe, and the other as (Z, being located at or near the centerof the lower bouts or lobe, and from these two established centers thewood gradually diminishes in thickness toward the edge, becoming alittle thicker at the edge. As the surface area of the lower bouts orlobe is greater than the surface area of the upper bouts or lobe, I havemade the center at a little thicker than the center 0, as for instance,the center 02 may be made ten sixty-fourths of an inch, and the center0, nine siXty-fou rths of an inch in thickness. The graduations areradial from these two centers, toward the edge, and toward each other,being made relatively proportionate, so that the wood is an eventhickness at the thinnest part next to the edge, as atthe dotted line 6.Owing to the peculiar shape of the top and back the radial diminution inthickness is not the same in all directions, but starting from a fixedpoint as c or d, I have represented by dotted lines f, a part of thebouts or lobes that is of an even thickness. By thus graduating the topor back of the instrument, or both, the general vibration caused by thewhole sounding board responding to the strings is equalized, thepressure being the same over the whole surface, and the undesirablewolf-tones and nasal effects are eliminated. The tone has a peculiarlyflute-like quality, pleasing to the performer, as well as to thelistener, and has a superior carrying tone.

I claim The top or back of a violin, or other instrument of the V101family, graduated radially from two established centers, one at or nearthe center of the upper bouts or lobe, and the other at or near thecenter of the lower bouts or lobe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM II. HOWE. lVitnesses:

BERNIOE J. NOYES, CHARLES B. CROCKER.

